After the Magic lost 102-98 to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, allowing the Celtics to shoot 54.3 percent from the field, coach Stan Van Gundy said he likes his team's effort. But he also noted that the team "just can't guard anybody."

In the 54 games that Howard played, opponents averaged 92.2 points per game and shot 43.8 percent from the field.

In the eight games without Howard, opponents have averaged 97.9 points per game and have shot 49.3 percent from the field.

Van Gundy noted that Turkoglu's injury also produces a domino effect. Turkoglu is widely considered a below average individual defender at best, but at least he is 6 feet 10 and is the team's tallest perimeter defender. With Turkoglu out, it forces 6-foot-6 Jason Richardson to shift into the starting small forward spot and 6-foot-4 J.J. Redick to move into the starting shooting guard spot.

The Magic's healthy players aren't about to grow any taller. And the younger players, who are prone to mistakes because of their inexperience, need time to develop.

So what can they do?

Van Gundy said the team needs to make small improvements.

"It's a [running] little bit harder on the closeout," he said. "It's [being] a half step quicker on a rotation. It's all of those things. Just a little bit more, and I think our guys want to do it, and that's a positive."

Playoff picture

Magic players insist they don't spend much time looking at the standings to try to figure out who they will face in the first round of the playoffs.

Lucky for them, because much remains unsettled.

This is certain, however: The Magic will finish with no worse than sixth in the East if they win two more regular-season games or if they win once and the New York Knicks lose once or if the Knicks lose twice.

The Magic and the Knicks each have four games remaining, with Orlando leading New York by three games.

Finishing sixth or better is important because it would mean Orlando would avoid facing either the Miami Heat or the Chicago Bulls in the first round.

If the season ended after Thursday's games, the Magic would have drawn a first-round playoff matchup against the Indiana Pacers. Orlando won the teams' regular-season series 3-1, including a 2-0 record in Indianapolis.

Baby on Boston

It's still a possibility that the Magic will face the Boston Celtics in the first round.

Boston swept the teams' regular-season series 3-0.

"I think we're capable of beating them," Glen Davis said after the Magic lost to the Celtics on Wednesday.

"Today we didn't have two of our guys. They didn't have two of their guys [actually three]. But, at the same time, we had a big missing piece [Howard] today and we still came out there and played the right way and was in the game. Whatever happens, happens. Whether we play Indiana or Boston, we're going to bring energy, we're going to play hard, and that's all that matters."

Layups

• The Magic did not practice Thursday.

• The team is scheduled to practice today in Orlando before it leaves for Salt Lake City, where the team will play the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.